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H. E. MERRILL.

v 1 PRESS FOR EARTHENWARE VESSELS." No. 368,956. Patented Aug". 30,1887.

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UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY .E. MERRILL, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE E. H. MERRILLCOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

PRESS FOR EARTHENWARE VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 368.956, dated August30, 1887.

' Application filed May 13, 1887. Serial No. 238,093. (No model.)

To 0022 whom, it may concern:

1 3e it known that I, HENRY E. MERRILL, a c1t1zen of the United States,and a resident of v the city of Akron, in the county of Summit and Stateof Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Presses forEarthenware Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in that class of presses forearthenware vessels in which the crock is formed by first forcing thetempered clay through an annular orifice between an outer case and innermandrel on a bottom of similar material held against the annular orificeuntil the parts unite by a movable plate, and then releasing the plateand forcing the clay through the annular orifice to the desired lengthand cuttingit off.

In operation difficulty is found in separat- 2o ing the crock-bottom inits plastic state from the mandrel-bottom. To obviate this variousdevices have been adopted, as downwardopening valves, shown in thepatent to M. J. Housel,No. 197 ,853,and a loose base having a downwardmotion, shown in patent to W. E. Dempsey and myself, No. 310,705,neither of which has been effective. in all cases. This difliculty isespecially noticeable where the crosssection is large, and where it isother than circular, as in square or other polygonal forms.

The object of my invention is to overcome this difficulty.

It consists in the devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, ashereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical section ofa press embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 an inverted plan of themandrel.

The clay-cylinder A, in which is the piston B, moved by the rods 0 O,has a lower head, D, which forms the outer case of the annular orifice,and in this instance is adapted to the construction of square crookswith round corners. Centrally within this case isthe hollow mandrel E,suspended from asupport, F,

consisting of a rim and a hub connected by radial arms.

In the base of the mandrel E is an annular channel between its outeredge and center, in which fits a ring, G, the outer face of which isflush with the base of the mandrel. The ring G is attached by rods 9 toa number of radial arms projecting from a hub, H, inside of the mandrel.This hub is keyed to a shaft, J, which passes upward through the supportF and piston B, and is pivoted to one end of the lever I.

Below the point of discharge and concentric with it is a plate, K, witha raised rim attached to the rod L, by which it is raised to and loweredfrom the press, and is arranged by devices (not shown) to be lockedagainst the head D.

In operation the cylinder A is charged with plastic clay. A mass of thesame material suflicient to form the crock-bottom is placed on the plateK, which is raised and locked against the head D. Pressure is thenapplied to the clay in the cylinder until it unites with the mass on theplate K, when the latter is released and descends as the clay is forcedthrough the annular orifice until the proper length of crock is reached.Simultaneously with the release of the plate K the ring G is releasedand thrown downward, thereby pushing the crock -bottom from the base ofthe mandrel, and allowing air to enter around the rods g.

I do not confine my invention to the exact mechanical details hereshown, as the mandrel may be suspended by a hollow shaft from the uppercylinder head, as shown in the patents before cited. The shaft J may .behollow to supply air to the insideof the mandrel. The edges of the ringG may be beveled and other modifications made, as the necessities ofeach case may require or as experience may dictate.

I claim- 1. In a press for earthenware vessels, the combination, with amandrel having an annular channel in its base, of a ring which fits insaid channel,and is provided with devices, such substantially as shown,by which it is forced from and drawn into said channel, sub- 7stantially as shown, and for the purpose speci- 2. The combination, withthe mandrel E, having an annular channel in its base, of the ring G,supported by the rods 57 from the arms of the hub H, the rod J, andlever I, all

